Internal-combustion engine



E. STUKE.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 3. 1918.

1,357,91 1. Pafented Nov. 2, 1920.

I I i PA ENT ol-"F cs.

ERNEST swim, or iunmman, m'ssrssrrrr.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION Enema To all whom it may concern: v

Be it known that I, ERNEs'r STUKE,. a

citizen of the United States, residing at Meridian, inthe county ofLauderdale and State of Mississippi, have invented a'new I, and usefulInternal-Combustion Engine,of

which the following is a. specification.

This invention relates to internal combustion engines of. that typeshown, for example, in Patent Number-875,865 issued to me on J anuary 71908.

The primary object of the invention is to provide means constantly underthe control of the operator whereby the compression of the explosivecharge within the cylinder of the engine can be maintained substantiallyuniform if desired, irrespective of the changes in the atmosphere due tovariations in altitude.

A further object is to provide simple and eflicient mechanism whereb.the variations in the relative positions 0 certain of the parts of theengine, necessary to maintain the desired compression, can be producedquickly and easily. A still further object is to provide mechanism ofthis character especially adapted for use in connection with airshipsand 'whereby high altitudes can be attained readily. a

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists ofcertain novel details of construction and combinations of parts whichwill be-hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims,it being understood that various changes may be made in the constructionand arrange ment of the parts without departing from the spirit orsacrificing any ofthe advantages of the invention as set forth in theapended claims.

ferred form of t e invention has 11 the accom anying drawings the preeenshown.

In said drawings- Figure 1 is a side elevation'of the engine, the samebeing shown partly in diagram Fig. 2'is a plan view of t at portion ofthe mechanism constituting the present in-- vention. I l

Fig. 3 is a detail view of the pedal mechanism. f i v Fig. 4 is anenlarged view through a portion of the pedal. n r 4 Referring to thefigures by characters of reference, 1 designates, in diagram, the.cyl-

Specification of Letters Patent.

gas thereinto at the center thereof. Opposed p1stons 2 are mounted forreciproca- Patented Nov. .2, 1920.

Application filed May'3, 1918. Serial Ila-232,328.

inder of an internal. combustion engine and which cylinder is open atits ends and is prov1ded with any suitable means for directing tion inthe respective end portions of the cyllnder and arranged below thecenter of 'the cylinder is a crank shaft 3 to the cranks of which areconnected links 1. These links diverge upwardly and are connected, attheir upper ends, to theouter ends of piston rods 5, the inner ends ofthe rods being pivotally connected to the respective pistons 2. A crank6 is mounted'for rotation under .rotating the cranks 6 simultaneously orotherwise andone form of'mechanlsm for 2, 3 and 4. Shafts are connectedto the this purpose has begn illustrated in Figs. cranks 6 and areprovided with worm wheels which, in turn, are engaged and operated byworms secured to a shaft 10, the worm wheels being indicated at 11 andthe worms at 12. Ratchet wheels 14: are secured to the shaft .10 andtiltably mounted on the shaft and extending over the ratchet wheels isa' pedal 15 having opposed pawls 16 and 17 depending therefrom andadapted to engage opposed portions of. the ratchet wheels. A sprmg 18 isconnected to the pedal for holding it normally in an intermediateposition. Spaced pins 19 and 20 are slidably mounted in the pedal andare provided at their upper ends with knobs for engagement by the toeand heel respectively of the foot engaging the pedal. A bell crank lever21 is connected to the pin 19 and is connected to a sleeve 22 in whichis housed a s ring 23. This spring bears against a p lunger housed inthe sleeve and which-1s attached to a rod 24 connected to the awl 16. ,Acoiled spring 25 may be arrange around to a bell crank lever 25 adaptedto pull I through rods 26 and a spring 27 upon the pawl 17, thus tothrow the pawl into engage- 110 mentwith the ratchetwheel.

It is to be understood that under normal conditions. the worms l2 andwheels 11 will successive explosions of gas in the cylinder,

the connections 8will work in arcs concentric with the lower ends of thebars 7 and motion will be transmitted through the links 4 to the crankson shaft 3.' The operation of Y the engine will thus be the same as thatof the engine described in my patent hereinbefore mentioned.

As the density of the atmosphere diminv ishes 1n proportion to thealtitude, it vis necessary, in order to drive aeroplanes, etc. at highaltitudes, to have some means whereby the compression of the charge canbe increased as the density diminishes; The pedal operated mechanism isprovided for this purpose.- By pressing with the toe on the pin 19 andlifting the heel from the pin 20, the pawl 16 will be thrownintoengagement-with one ratchet wheel 14 while the pawl 17 will shift out ofengagement with the other'wheel. Thus by oscillating the pedal, at thesame time holding pin 19 depressed, the shaft 10 can be rotatedintermittently in one direc-" tion, thereby transmitting motion throughthe worm gearing to the shafts 9 and causing the cranks 6 to graduallyrotate and lift the bars 7 The arcs described by the connections 8during the-reciprocation of the pistons will thus be moved upwardly andinwardly toward the cylinder 1 with the result that the pistons willmove closer together during the compression strokesthereof and increasethe compression as desired.

By lifting the pressing with the heel upon the pin 20 pawl 16 willbecome disengaged and pawl 17 will be movedinto active position so thatoscillation of the pedal 15 will result in the rotation of the. shaft 10in the opposite direction and the lowering of the connections 8.

Obviously this adjustment of the engine can a of the atmosphere toe fromthe pin 19 and be effected duringthe operation of the engine by a simplemovement of the foot en gaging the pedal 15, the worm gearing lookingthe parts efficiently during the operation of the engine.

What is claimedis:

r 1. In an internal combustion engine a cylinder, oppositely arrangedpistons therein, a crank shaft opposite the space between the pistons,oppositely extending piston rods pivotally connected to the pistons,supports pivotally connected to and extending at an 2. In an internalcombustion engine the combination with a cylinder, opposltely arrangedpistons therein, a crank shaft opposite the spacebetween the pistons,and oppositely' extending piston rods pivotally connected to therespective pistons, of support- .ing links pivotally connected to theouter ends of the piston rods, a shaft, means operated by the rotationof said shaft for si-v multaneously shifting said supports to raise orlower the outer ends of the piston rods, links connecting the crankshaft to the joints between the piston rods, links connecting the crankshaft .to the joints between the piston rods and their supporting linksand constituting means for transmitting motion from the pistons to thecrank shaft, and foot operated means. for rotating the support shiftingshaft in either direction to ralse or lower said support. Y

In'testimony that I claim the foregoingas myown, I have hereto aflixedmy signa- 'ture in the presence of two witnesses.

' ERNEST STUKE.

Witnesses:

IVY E, SIMPsoN P InoMENA A. ltoolmnm.

